Aerial view of Alamo Square - 1975

Alamo Square Park origins: One of six four-block parks established in the 1850's when the city extended its western boundary from Van Ness to Divisadero Street, and called the area "the Western Addition." The name is still used even though the area lies within the eastern half of San Francisco. The park was initially claimed by squatter Charles P. (Dutch Charlie) Duane in 1854. He was exiled from the city for stuffing ballot boxes (what a horrible punishment) and when he returned in 1860 he discovered that his claim had been taken over by the city. He brought suit in court but finally lost in 1877. It was not until 1892 that the city began to improve the park, spending $25,000 to grade it, plant it, and construct the entrances and stairways in 1896. History: Most of the neighborhood was developed by 1906. Thus when the fires of April 1906 destroyed much of the city up to five blocks away, Alamo Square became a major refuge for the homeless -- and for a time, housed around 1,000 tents. No "permanent" shelters (i.e., "earthquake cottages") graced the park, however. In the 1950's and 1960's, Alamo Square was increasingly viewed as dangerous to visit, day or night. In the 1960's a proposal was made to level the park for a playing field; a field house would have been constructed at the corner of Fulton and Steiner. Neighbors opposing the plan appealed to Mayor Alioto and the plan was dropped. Current Renaissance: With gentrification in the 1970's, more people (and money) came to the park, and in 1981, Mayor Feinstein rededicated the park. At that time, new plantings were made and an automatic irrigation system completed. A children's playground was developed and the tennis courts have recently be refurbished. At the same time, the garden staff continues to shrink. In the 1970's, Alamo Square had a subforeman and two gardeners assigned to it. By the early 1990's, the park was reduced to one full-time gardener. Today, roving gardeners come to work but there are no resident gardeners at the park. Alamo Square Neighborhood Association regularly has park clean-up weekends, and has petitioned for one of the city's French toilets. The December 12, 1995 storm brought down many mature trees in parks throughout the city, including Alamo Square. Flower beds and well maintained and used tennis courts are a marked contrast to Alamo Square and mid-20th century.